Online Marketing Blog Poll Results

The Online Marketing Blog posted results from their recent reader polls. Remember these are SEO geeks and they are most likely SEO agencies. I’m going to put the top answer to each and some commentary.

What do you like most about your search marketing job? (67 answers)
You are truly appreciated for your expertise and contributions (21%)

Note: Money wasn’t one of the top reasons. People like to make an impact. Building a reputation was next, which is related to this idea.

Note: Affilliate Summit came in last with 4% (though it is more specialized and this is an SEO crowd, not a crowd of affiliate marketers).

What is the primary purpose of your blog? (54 answers)

To publish/share my ideas (35%)

Interesting enough getting the significant SEO benefits of a blog was dead last on the list at 6%. Again, this is from SEO folks (SEO agencies it looks like) who are savvy and could benefit from the marketing and SEO. Sharing openly is a HUGE part of blogging. In its best form it’s not a one-sided relationship (getting links, getting business) but a giving/contributing one. I love the community-building aspect of blogging as well. Has someone you don’t know ever hugged you because of your blog?

I talked with Danny Sullivan at Affiliate Summit about how people read things into your blog and make assumptions (like that a particular post was about them, excluded them, etc when in reality it had nothing to do with them. Chris Knudsen says that’s part of the reason he pulled back on blogging).

What are your most common reasons for discontinuing a client relationship? (64 answers)

Client is too difficult to work with (53%)

Yes, once again money again wasn’t a factor. Getting paid well is a side benefit but if the client is difficult to work with it doesn’t matter.